Farmers end stir in Amritsar, Moga, to gherao procurement officials

Farmers and farm labourers on Friday ended their three-day demonstration in front of the administrative complexes of Amritsar and Moga and announced to gherao officials of procurement agencies from Saturday.

Farmers and farm labourers on Friday ended their three-day demonstration in front of the administrative complexes of Amritsar and Moga and announced to gherao officials of procurement agencies from Saturday to press for their demands that include appropriate compensation for crop damage.

Activists of eight farmers’ unions and four farm labourers’ unions decided in a three-hour meeting to end their blockades and rallies in Moga and Amritsar as part of the struggle against the Punjab government. (HT Photo)

Activists of eight farmers’ unions and four farm labourers’ unions decided in a three-hour meeting to end their blockades and rallies in Moga and Amritsar as part of the struggle against the Punjab government. Farmers also held protest marches at the two places in support of their demands. Bharti Kisan Union (Ekta) general secretary Sukhdev Singh Kokari said the farmers and farm labourers unions had decided their next line of action and mode of struggle.

Between November 7 and 18, farmers will gherao officials of various procurement agencies at grain markets across the state, unless the state government accepted their demands, the BKU leader said. Protesting farmers demand Rs 5,000 per quintal as minimum support price (MSP) of Basmati; rs 40,000 per acre as compensation to farmers whose cotton crop was damaged by whitefly pest; rs 20,000 per acre as relief to farm labourers; and `5 lakh each as compensation, besides employment to a member, to the families of farmers who had committed suicide.